New Ulm weekly review., 1887-12-28
(Written for the Review.)
Effects of Stimulants and Narcotics
on The Human System.

STlMUEANTs AND NARCOTICS. Slim
| ulants are substances that tend to in
crease the vital activity of an organized
body or one or more of its paris. Mar
cotics are substances that tend to di-
minish vital action. Some substances
are stimulants if taken in small doses,
and narcotics if introduced into the
system in larger quantities. Among
| drinks in smaller quantities, coffee. tea,
quinine, the flavors and acids of fruits,
| many herbs, mustard. horse-radlsb,
spices and many other condiments. and
appetizers. OF narcotics we may name
! opium and the various opiates, chloral
hydrate (s.chloral''), chlCroform, In
| dian hemp, tobacco, and alcoholics in
excessive quantities.
2. CHEMICAL TERMS AND SYMBOLS. g
Those substances which cannot be de-
composed into other substances, are
called elements The elements that
make up the substances we shall con-
slider, are principally hydrogen, carbon
oxygen and nitrogen. The smallest
particles OF an element that can partici-
pate in chemical action, are called
atoms. The smallest particle of an
element or compound that can exist
in the free state, is called a molccule.
An atom Of hydrogen is denoted by the
symbol II; one of oxygen, by 0; one Of
carbon, by G; one OF nitrogen, by N.
In most cases, molecule of an element
is considered as composed of two
atoms. The molecules of compounds
do o.
molecule of hydrogen may be repre-
sented by the symbol + + molecule
of water, by Il Il Q, or H. o.
An element which can hold one atom
of hydrogen in combination, Or which
can take the place of one hydrogen
atom in compound, is called monad;
one that can replace two hydrogen
atoms, dYad; one that can replace
three hydrogen atoms, a triad; one that
can replace four hydrogen atoms, q
tetrad; etc. Hydrogen is a monad;
oxygen, a dyad; nitrogen, triad; car.
bon, tetrad. This replacing power
in reference to hydrogen is graphically
indicated by means of short lines at
tached to the symbol of the element
and extending in any convenient direc.
ton, the number of lines being equal
to the number Of hydrogen atoms the
element can hold in combination or
replace. These lines are called bonds.
An atom of hydrogen may thus be
graphically represented by H or
H. If two atoms Of hydrogen unite,
the bond of each is satisfied by the
mbination with the other; the hydro
gen molecule may, therefore, be gra-
phically denoted by H-H. The sym
boil Of oxygen may be graphically writ
ten o.. By satisfying each bond of
0 by a hydrogen atom, we obtain
H-O-H. the graphic symbol of wa
ter. If, however, we satisfy only one
bond OF 0 by hydrogen atom, we
shall obtain Oh, group of atoms
known rs hydroxyl. In hydroxyl,
there is one 'sunsatisfied' or ..free'
bond, making its replacing power
equal to that of H. Hydroxyl is,
therefore, a monad. In its combining
power, it is SO much like an atom of
hydrogen that two groups of oh
are required for molecule; i. e. in the
free state, it occurs only as H-O-O-
H or (HO)-(HO), the compound
called hydrogen dioxide, in which the
free bond of each single group is salts.
fed by combination with the other. It
will be noticed that in H-O-O-H
the two oxygen atoms are united by
single bond,
The carbon atom has four bonds. If
three of these be satisfied with hydro
gen, the atom group
b ~.